Which mobile browser are you?

Mobile browsers are like people, in that there are a lot of them. Some are big, some are small, some er… still use Flash as opposed to HTML5. But, just like you and me, they are all different. We’ve picked through the app stores to find the ten best browsers and found the features that most suit you.

FOR THE LAZY BROWSER – GOOGLE CHROME

Want a browser that makes surfing the net easy? Look no further than Google Chrome. It’s available on desktop and mobile, so you can sync tabs and bookmarks between both platforms. That lets you start browsing at work and finish what you were reading on the train home. Plus, it has autofill and password syncing, so you won’t even have to tap in user IDs and passwords. And as it comes preinstalled on most Android phones, you won’t have to download anything to get going.

FOR THE TINKERER – FIREFOX

Are you a tinkerer? Then Mozilla’s Firefox is right up your alley. With more than 300 different add-ons, no two Firefox browsers need ever be the same. Want to download flash? Re-skin your favourite websites? Automatically compare prices and coupons while shopping online? There’s an add-on for that. There’s also a bevy of security settings like Do Not Track that will stop any site operator from pouring over your browsing history.

FOR THE CLOUD-GAZER – MAXTHON

If you’re obsessed with the cloud, you’re going to be just as infatuated with Maxthon. This browser stores all your preferences up in the air, meaning that you can browse, favourite, bookmark or cruise through your browsing history on a Mac, Windows, iOS, Android or Windows Phone. While you’re busy deciding which device you want to check Facebook on, Maxthon has a nifty featured called ‘Fetch Mode’, which automatically loads the next page of a site in the background, so when you tap forward, you don’t have to wait.

FOR THE ROAMER – OPERA

While many of us prefer to browse in a stationary position, there are others who insist on moving around. Luckily, Opera is on hand. At the heart of the browser is a feature called ‘Off-Road’. When it’s switched on, it uses clever compression technology to squash websites into tinier chunks, so you can still browse in poor reception areas. There’s also a ‘Discover’ feature, which delivers a curated list of news articles from your region, wherever you are.

FOR THE ARTIST – DOLPHIN

If you’re the type of person that wants to express their creativity at every turn, Dolphin is for you. Instead of relying on bookmarks, it lets you create your own gestures to go to your favourite websites. So, if you wanted to access Instagram, instead of typing it in, you draw an ‘I’ gesture on your browser and it whisks you to your desired destination. It also has a ‘Sonar’ feature that lets you search the web using just your voice.

FOR THE DOWNLOAD JUNKIE – UC BROWSER

If you dream of downloading more than one thing at once like in ye olde days of desktops, say hello to UC Browser. Underneath its ergonomic and well-designed user interface lays the file and download manager. This lets you click multiple download links and runs them quietly in the background while you continue to browse. What’s more, even if your internet connection is interrupted, it will simply wait until you’re re-connected and continue to download. The File Manager will then provide easy access to all your new additions and tell you how much space each one is taking up.

FOR THE SPEEDREADER – NEXT

For those who like things to happen in an instant, the Next browser promises that no website will ever take longer than 1.5 seconds to open. In the latest iteration, Next’s start-up time has been halved, and the front page combines your top sites and recent tabs so you can pick up wherever you left off, in a hurry. If you’re looking to take your speedy browsing to another device, there’s a Chrome extension that lets you synchronise bookmarks without a second lost.

FOR THE RISK AVERSE – CM BROWSER

The CM browser is all about security. The CM, or Clean Master, Browser is only 1.7MB in size – Google Chrome takes up a hefty 28MB. But while it may be puny in the megabytes sense, it makes up for it in the protection stakes. Baked into the browser is an antivirus engine that was rated top in recent tests. It alerts you when you’re browsing potentially fraudulent or malicious websites, automatically scans any apps you download outside Google Play and has Do Not Track and cookie deletion settings as standard.

FOR THE AESTHETE – JAVELIN

If what you’re after is a reading experience that is as beautiful as it is pleasurable, then new kid on the block Javelin is your perfect match. When you load up a web page, it automatically strips out all the ads, formatting and fancy fonts to leave a scrollable, resizable piece of text for you to immerse yourself in. Javelin has a few simple gestures involving one or two touches to make things as effortless as possible. And laid over the top is a beautiful interface that uses block colours and simple graphics to help you find your way around.